1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicle wheel structures and more particularly pertains to an auxiliary wheel assembly for supporting a vehicle wheel having a flat tire.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of vehicle wheel structures is known in the prior art. More specifically, vehicle wheel structures heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art vehicle wheel structures include U.S. Pat. No. 2,233,742; U.S. Pat. No. 2,160,199; French Patent 584,339; U.S. Pat. No. 2,670,994; Italian Patent 421,110; Italian Patent 606,335; U.S. Pat. No. 2,145,525; U.S. Pat. No. 2,170,647 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,153,302.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose an auxiliary wheel assembly for supporting a vehicle wheel having a flat tire which includes an auxiliary wheel of smaller diameter relative to the vehicle wheel, and a mounting means for securing the auxiliary wheel concentrically adjacent to the vehicle wheel, wherein the mounting means includes a plurality of brackets permitting movement of the auxiliary wheel in a plane parallel to the vehicle wheel while precluding axial movement of the auxiliary wheel relative to the vehicle wheel during cornering.
In these respects, the auxiliary wheel assembly according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of supporting a vehicle wheel having a flat tire.